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Apple Intelligence may take a backseat at WWDC25


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Apple doesn’t have as many Apple Intelligence options to announce at WWDC25 because it did throughout final 12 months’s developer convention. Nonetheless, a handful of recent AI options ought to arrive, together with Apple Intelligence-generated Shortcuts automations, an Apple Intelligence API for builders, and AI-powered well being suggestions. Apple’s basis language mannequin itself can even be improved, with variations in 4 totally different sizes at the moment in testing.

Right here’s what to anticipate on Apple Intelligence subsequent Monday throughout the WWDC25 keynote.

Apple Intelligence is probably not a giant focus at WWDC25

Apple Intelligence was announced by Craig Federighi, SVP of software engineering
Apple Intelligence was a big a part of WWDC24.
Photograph: Apple

Apple launched its suite of AI options below the branding “Apple Intelligence” final 12 months at WWDC24. Apple entered the hotly aggressive and extremely contentious AI panorama with sensible options that the corporate says anybody can use.

Nonetheless, after Apple introduced Writing Instruments, Picture Playground, Genmoji, Visible Intelligence and extra, the corporate spent a lot of the final 12 months implementing these options in iOS 18.1, 18.2, 18.3 and 18.4. And a serious challenge to make Siri smarter stays delayed, resulting in a administration shakeup in March.

Since Apple’s engineers spent a lot of the final 12 months ending and delivery these preliminary Apple Intelligence options, they didn’t have time to concentrate on huge new AI options for this 12 months’s updates.

That might go away this 12 months’s keynote with no blockbuster section. Whereas the keynotes at WWDC23 and WWDC24 devoted practically 40 minutes of runtime to introducing Imaginative and prescient Professional and Apple Intelligence, respectively, it appears WWDC25 shall be extra enterprise as ordinary, with solely a handful of recent options and different iterative enhancements.

So, what Apple Intelligence options can we anticipate this 12 months?

Apple Intelligence-powered Shortcuts

Settings and Device shortcuts
Shortcuts are a strong, however sophisticated, software.
Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple reportedly plans to replace Shortcuts, the app that lets customers construct automations by visually piecing collectively actions that may management apps on their gadgets, with Apple Intelligence. In line with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, “the brand new model will let shoppers create these actions utilizing Apple Intelligence fashions.”

Making a Shortcut may be an intimidating course of to newcomers — and tedious for skilled customers. It might be a big improve in the event you might describe in plain language what you wished, and Apple Intelligence was good sufficient to create the automation for you.

App Intents, the underlying API that powers Shortcuts, was additionally going to energy a better Siri that would take a command and immediately carry it out in your behalf. Apple introduced this function at WWDC24 however delayed it in March 2025 to “the approaching 12 months.” Which means it might be reannounced Monday.

An API for builders

Animation showing Apple Intelligence on iPhone
Apple Intelligence, versus most different AI platforms, can run on-device.
Picture: Apple

In iOS 18, builders can use a restricted set of APIs so as to add Apple’s Writing Instruments or Picture Playground into their apps, however not a lot else. The large announcement this 12 months is that builders will be capable to use Apple basis mannequin APIs immediately.

At the moment, if a developer needs so as to add AI options to their app, like audio transcriptions or textual content summaries, they have to use a third-party mannequin. Which means both paying API charges to a different firm, like Anthropic or OpenAI, or including a small open-source mannequin contained in the app, which may cut back the standard, bloat the app dimension and decelerate efficiency.

Giving builders the power to make use of Apple Intelligence would deliver many advantages. Builders might add AI options with out paying exorbitant prices, as a result of Apple Intelligence largely runs on-device. Builders wouldn’t must combine a third-party mannequin into their apps, as an alternative utilizing a handy API supplied by Apple.

This may permit many extra third-party apps you utilize, from Airbnb to Impulse to Paprika to NetNewsWire, the power to construct customized AI options at a a lot decrease value.

AI-powered well being coach

Apple builds tech that acts as 'intelligent guardian' for user health
Apple beforehand hesitated to present direct well being recommendation in its app.
Picture: Apple

Challenge Mulberry is the inner codename for an AI coach that may analyze the knowledge within the Well being app to offer personalised suggestions. Apple is coaching this AI agent with information from its in-house physicians. In line with Bloomberg, “the challenge stays deep in improvement” and shall be launched in spring 2026. As such, Apple won’t point out it at WWDC25. In that case, it probably shall be certified as “coming later.”

The AI well being might reportedly shall be a part of an even bigger redesign of Apple’s Well being app. The corporate plans to make the app simpler to navigate and perceive. It additionally may add instructional movies contained in the app on subjects like sleep, vitamin, bodily remedy and psychological well being.

Apple’s basis mannequin is getting higher

Apple Intelligence diagram
Apple Intelligence runs on a single basis mannequin with totally different Adapters that may energy all kinds of options.
Picture: Apple

In line with Bloomberg, Apple is testing a number of new variations of its basis mannequin: “Variations with 3 billion, 7 billion, 33 billion and 150 billion parameters at the moment are in lively use.” The biggest mannequin would run by way of Non-public Cloud Compute, Apple’s cloud AI servers.

Whereas the most recent basis fashions apparently preserve tempo with current variations of OpenAI’s fashions, Apple refuses to launch a ChatGPT-like conversational chatbot “as a consequence of considerations over hallucinations and philosophical variations amongst firm executives,” in accordance with Bloomberg.

Nonetheless, enhancements to the inspiration mannequin will enhance the standard of each different Apple Intelligence function. The Writing Instruments will produce higher-quality outcomes, notifications will summarize notifications extra precisely, and many others.

Siri options stay in improvement hell

Screenshot of prompts to Siri: Play the podcast that my wife sent me the other day Delete my reminder to call Aileen Generate an image of a cat playing piano on the moon Add this photo to the email I drafted to Mayuri and Brian Move this to my Important Tasks list Summarize this email Create a new tab group Add this photo to my Birthday Inspiration Freeform boa Delete my Birthday Ideas tab group
These are the sorts of belongings you’ll be capable to ask the brand new, smarter Siri.
Picture: Apple

Apple continues engaged on LLM Siri, the ground-up redo of its much-maligned voice assistant. However the brand new model in all probability gained’t be prepared this 12 months, having just lately been put below new administration. Nonetheless, “the hope is to lastly give Siri a conversational interface,” in accordance with Bloomberg.

A brand new function, dubbed “Information,” is a software “that may pull in information from the open net,” like ChatGPT. This may probably reply open-ended questions you ask Siri by looking out on-line, processing the highest solutions and studying you a abstract of what it finds.

Robby Walker, who fumbled the ball on Siri earlier than Mike Rockwell took over, is main the event of Information. Bloomberg says it’s “already been stricken by among the similar issues that delayed the Siri overhaul.”

Extra miscellaneous AI options

Code completion and Swift Assist in Xcode
Swift Help will be capable to write or refactor your code for you.
Picture: Apple

That’s not all of the Apple Intelligence options supposedly within the pipeline for WWDC25, both. In line with Bloomberg, different minor updates embrace:

  • Apple reportedly will introduce a brand new low-power mode, which can use AI to “perceive tendencies and make predictions for when it ought to decrease the ability draw of sure functions or options.” This could prolong iPhone battery life.
  • The Translate app may get built-in with AirPods for stay translation, with a redesign or rebranding probably.
  • Apple continues improvement of Swift Help, the programming software for builders that may be capable to write new features or refactor code. Apple talked about it final 12 months. This 12 months, “the corporate is predicted to offer an replace” on when it is going to arrive, Bloomberg says. Internally, Apple engineers use a software powered by Anthropic.
  • Apple additionally will introduce a brand new AI-powered software for person interface testing, a difficult a part of software program improvement.

Lastly, on a considerably miserable be aware, Bloomberg notes that Apple will “quietly rebrand a number of current options in apps like Safari and Photographs as ‘AI-powered,’” presumably to make it appear to be the Apple Intelligence crew has been extra productive than it truly has.